as is the amout of time they spend outside of school, during their lunches, during their "breaks" and summer time. Summers of? LOL A MYTH! Then, there's the amount of additional education required to keep current on their certificates. It takes time and is expensive. And I say, REQUIRED, not just BENEFICIAL to promotion. The ONLY reason things EVEN OUT is because of the good health insurance.
You can not compare being a GOOD teacher and say a city planner in terms of the amount of work that they put in during the course of a year. No offense, but there is simply no comparison. Anyone who has ever been married to a teacher or dated a teacher would know that. In fact, state employees that are married to a teacher probably spend a great deal of THEIR free time helping said teacher get done with their work so that they can ever leave the house together. (And don't forget spouses of teachers fighting about all the extra money they are spending trying to do their jobs.)
Most teachers are women, and so this inequality in careers has gone unchecked. GOOD HEALTH insurance is what makes up for these amazing inequities. If it were mostly men, it would never have gotten to this point. Sad, but true.
Shame on you, Rep. Wenke.